Target-trap.



W. B. COSBY.

TARGET TRAP.

APPLICATION F1Ln1uLY12.x915.

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Patented Nov. 28, 19H5.

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w. B. CUSBY. TARGET TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED )ULY12,I9\5.

@T Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

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WILLIAM B. COSBY, OF KAN-SAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB; OF ONE-HALF T0 D.D. GROSS, OF KANSAS CITY, ML'SSOURI.

TARGET-TRAP.

insonnia.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Non. 28, 19in.

Application led. July 12, 1915. Serial No. 39,324.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. CosBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Target-Traps; and ldo declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters .and figures vof referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to target traps, and more particularly to a deviceof that character for throwing clay or composition targets; theprincipal object of the invention being to provide an apparatus whichmay be easily set and released, to which the targets may be easily andquickly applied, which may be easily and quickly turned to a desiredangle by the boy feeding the trap, and which will throw the target insuch .a manner as to obviate tipping and the resultant retardance of thetarget, with the result that a greater distance of throw is provided. lnaccomplishing these and other objects of my invention, l have providedthe improved details of structure hereinafter described, and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein z- Figure l is a perspective viewof a target trap containing my improvements and illustrating the trapmounting and the setting .and releasing levers. Fig. Il is an enlargedside elevation of the trap proper, showing the throwing arm in setposition. Fig. III is a plan view showing the setting arm at anintermediate position. Fig. IV is a horizontal section on the lineIV-IV, Fig. l1. Fig. V is a detail perspective view of the arm latch,with parts of the supporting and throwing arms. Fig. Vl is a detailelevation of a part of the throwing arm and carrier, particularlyillustrating the incline of the carrier whereby the horizontal travel isinduced.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 1 designates the base of thetrap, which is preferably mounted on an elongated platform 2, in orderto provide a firm foundation for the trap .and pull mechanism which willbe hereinafter described.

Rising from the base 2 is a standard 3,

having spaced ears l at its upper end, between which the bearing lug 5of a supporting arm 6 is mounted on a bolt 7 that eX- tends through thestandard ears and lug in sucha manner that the elevation of thesupporting arm may be varied by adjustment of the lug 5 on said bolt.

The arm 6 extends forwardly of the standard and carries a bearing 9within which is revolubly mounted shaft l0 to which the throwing arm llis fixed; the said arm il having an elongated body part and a short reararm l2; the body part having a carrier 13 pivotally mounted at its outerend, and the short arm being provided with a yoke l5 within which oneend of a coil spring 1G is mounted by means of ay pin 17; the rear endof the spring being connected with a bolt 18 that extends through amounting 19 on the rear end of the supporting arm 6 and carries a wingnut 2O whereby the tension of the spring may be adjusted.

The spring is normally under slight tension, so that the throwing arm"is extended forwardly when unrestrained and the mounting of the throwingarm is such that when the said arm is pulled backwardly to settingposition, the spring is placed under throwing tension to actuate thethrowing arm, as presently described.

The carrier 13, which is pivotally mounted in the outer end of thethrowing arm comprises a seat plate 22 having a stop rail 23 at one edgeand a post 2-1 at the opposite edge, one of the parts being yieldable toadmit a target and hold the same during the initial travel of the arm;the detail construction of the carrier being` of no moment in thepresent application, except that the part of the seat plate upon whichthe target rests is inclined relative to the throwing arm.

To give a better understanding of the improvement of the carrier plate,l will state at this time that it is customary with target traps of thischaracter to arrange the supporting and throwing arm at an outward andupward incline so that when the throwing arm is released it will moveoutwardly and upwardly to discharge position, so that when the target isreleased it will not only shoot forward but will rise much after andclosely resembling a bird aroused to flight.

It has been found that when the carrier is arranged at the same angleas, or in other i words is in the plane of or parallel with the throwingarm, the target is tipped as it is discharged, so that it presents amodified broadside as it is hurled through the air. This broadsidepresents an extended surface for air currents or for air resistance,resulting in .a retarded or uneven flight.

By inclining the carrier toward the hori- Zontal relative to thethrowing arm, I am able to effect a flight of the target wherein thelatter advances in a plane parallel with the earth or, in other words,presents only its edge to the air currents and its most limited surfaceto the. air resistance, resulting in a much steadier and longer fiightof the target. This incline is thought to be clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

The shaft l0 upon which the throwing arm is mounted, extends below thebearing 9 and is journaled at its lower end in a yoke arm 26 that ispreferably formed integral with the supporting arm 6.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 10, between the end of the supporting armand the yoke arm 26, is a grooved wheel 27, having a tooth 27 thereonadapted for engaging the forward edge of the throwing arm 11, and runover said wheel is a rope 28, which is guided by pulley wheels 29-30that are mounted on a shaft 3l that is carried by ears 32 on thestandard 3 adjacent the upper end thereof, and also by pulleys 38-84 ona 'shaft 35 that is carried by arms 36 on the standard 3 adjacent thelower end thereof; the arms 36-37 being turned downwardly into a recess39 in the top of the base 1 so that the pulleys may guide the ropebeneath the top plate 40.

The rope 28 extends out through a slot 41 at the vback of the base andone end of the rope is secured to a rod 43, which slides in ears 44-45of a frame plate 46 that is fixed on the elongated platform 2; a spring47 being attached to the rod at one end and bearing against the forwardframe ear 44 at the other end in order to exert a rearward pull on theend of the rope with which the rod is connected. The other end of therope 28 is connected with a lever 48, which is suitably mounted so thatwhen the lever is moved backwardly it will draw the rope backwardlyagainst the tension of the spring 47, and as the rope is run over thepulley 27 on the throwing arm shaft and preferably secured thereto by astaple, or the like 49, the pulley travels with the rope and moves thethrowing arm back to setting position.

' In order to hold the throwing arm in setting position, I provide alatch 51, which is slidably mounted on the supporting arm 6V by pin andslot connection 52-53; the upper edge of the latch being extended abovethe plane of the supporting arm, and having a beveled tooth 54 at itsforward end adapted for engagement by a boss 55 on the under face of thethrowing arm, so that when the throwing arm is pulled backwardly,engagement of the boss with the tooth will move the latch forwardly toenable the boss to seat back of the latch and hold the arm against thetension of the throwing spring 16; the latch 5l being normally urged tooperative position by a spring 57 which is coiled on a rod 58 thatprojects rearwardly from the latch and bears against an ear 59 on thelatch and an ear GO on the supporting arm.

The latch 51 has a depending arm 61 provided with an aperture (32through which the strand of the rope leading to the operating leverruns, and fixed on said strand is a button 63 which is adapted forengagcment with the latch arm as the rope moves forwardly, in order tooperate the latch and release the throwing arm In order to feed thecarrier conveniently, I mount a table 64 at the rear of the supportingarm, and in such position that when the throwing arm is set, the frontarm of the carrier will be immediately in advance of the slide table, sothat targets placed on a table may be moved readily into the carrier. Ialso provide for retaining the supporting arm at a desired elevation byequipping the same with a curved rod 65, which extends through a bracket66 on the standard, and is adapted for engagement by a set screw 67whereby it is held in adjusted position to hold the supporting andthrowing arms at the desired angle. The standard is also preferablyequipped with a handle 68 whereby the trap may be turned on its pivotalmounting to induce discharge of the targets at the desired shootingangles.

In using the trap, presuming the parts to be constructed and assembledas described, a boy is located adjacent the trap so that he may turn thetrap to the different angles and feed the carrier. IVhcn a target is tobe discharged, a man pulls the lever 48 backwardlv and retracts thethrowing arm against the tension of the spring to set the arm. The armis retracted by engagement of the tooth 27 with the forward edge of thethrowing arm, as the wheel 27 moves rearwardly under pull of the leverand rope, until it engages the latch as heretofore described.

When the throwing arm is set, the boy moves a target from the slidetable into the carrier; the placing of the target being effectedimmediately upon the setting of the arm, so that it may be ready whenthe trap is released. The target remains set in this manner until theshooter is ready for the target, when he calls to the lever man and thelatter moves the lever forwardly 1 ,206,421 6 :ist

to release the rope to the tension of the spring 47. This releasingmovement allows the rope to move forwardly at the lever end until itsbutton engages the latch arm and moves the latch out of the path of thethrowing arm, the button being preferably so arranged that when thethrowing arm is set the rope may be let out to permit the wheel torevolve sufficiently to allow the tooth to pass out of the way of thethrowing arm, the engagement of the button with the latch occurring asthe rope approaches its forward limit of travel. This release frees thethrowing arm to the tension of its spring, and the arm is revolvedrapidly on its pivotal mounting until it reaches the discharge positionwhere it suddenly stops and shoots the target from the carrier.

Owing to the inclined position of the supporting part of the carrier,the target is thrown horizontally so that it may rise without tiltingand thereby insure a longer and steadier flight than is ordinarilysecured.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

l. The combination with supporting mechanism, of a throwing armpivotally mounted on said lnechanism and adapted for travel in aninclined plane, and a carrier mounted on said arm and comprising atarget supporting portion, inclined toward the horizontal relative tothe plane of travel-of the throwing arm at the point of discharge.

2. The combination with supporting mechanism, of a carrier arm pivotallymounted on said mechanism and adapted for travel in an inclined plane,and a target carrier pivotally mounted on said arm and arranged at anincline approaching the horizontal relative to the plane of travel ofthe throwing arm.

3. In a target trap the combination with a pivotally mounted throwingarm, of a carrier having a base end pivotally mounted in the end of thethrowing arm, and having a target supporting member inclined relative tothe plane of travel of the throwing arm to approach the horizontal whenin discharge position, and means for actuating the throwing arm.

4. The combination with a supporting arm, of a latch movably mounted onsaid arm, a shaft carried by said arm, a throwing arm carried by saidshaft, yielding means for actuating the throwing arm, a rotatablesetting member carried by said shaft and adapted for engaging the arm,to move the same to engagement with the latcli, a rope for actuatingsaid setting member when moved in one direction, a button on said ropefor engaging the latch to release the throwing arm when the rope ismoved in the opposite direction, and yielding means for returning thesetting member.

5. The combination with a supporting arm, of a latch slidably mounted onsaid arm, a shaft carried by said arm, a throwing arm carried by saidshaft, yielding means for actuating the throwing arm, a rotatablesetting member carried by said shaft and adapted for engaging the arm,to move the same to engagement with the latch, a rope for yactuatingsaid setting member when moved in one direction, a button on said ropefor engaging the latch to release the throwing arm when the rope ismoved in the opposite direction, and a spring connected with theopposite end of the rope for returning the setting member to initialposition and actuating the latch.

6. A target trap comprising a standard, a supporting arm on saidstandard, a throwing arm rotatably mounted on the supporting arm, agrooved wheel rotatable independently of the throwing arm, a latchmovably mounted on the supporting arm and adapted for holding thethrowing arm, a spring for urging the throwing arm to dischargeposition, a rope run over the grooved wheel and through the latch, aspring connected with one end of the rope, a lever connected with theopposite end of the said rope, and a button on said rope for engagingthe latch to release said throwing arm.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM B. COSBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). C.

